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Inner Sphere Battle Armor Organization

This article indicates how major factions organized their battle armor units.

ComStar/Word of Blake[edit]

In compliance with their organization structure, the Com Guards formed their Battle Armor into Levels, with Level I composed of four troopers.[1] A Level II unit was composed of six Level I units, which meant upwards of 24 Battle Armor troopers (though occasionally it might include other Level I units besides Battle Armor). Above this were Level III formations, the equivalent of a battalion, and were almost always combined-arms formations.[2] The Word of Blake Militia used a similar organizational structure. In the beginning while the Com Guards used standard Inner Sphere battle armor, the Blakists used small numbers of Free Worlds League designs such as the Longinus and Achileus, along with developing their own design known as the Purifier Adaptive.[1]

Original Organization
Level Troopers Components
I 4 -
II 24 6 Level Is
III 144 6 Level IIs
Reorganization
Level Troopers Components
I 6 -
II 36 6 Level Is
III 216 6 Level IIs

House Davion[edit]

The Federated Suns was the first of the Inner Sphere powers to field its own battle armor designs, though not in time to make a difference during the Clan Invasion. Starting with the first generation of battle armor, the Sloth, Infiltrator Mk. I and Inner Sphere Standard, second-generation designs like Cavalier and Infiltrator Mk. II increased the combat capabilities of the AFFC. By 3062, most infantry regiments operating as part of a Regimental Combat Team had at least a company of battle armor (and a few RCTs even fielded independent battalions of battle armor), while other units incorporating battle armor support included a number of independent 'Mech regiments and special operations units. The majority of battle armor units included organic APC transport elements, which allowed them to keep pace with 'Mech and armor advances.[3]

Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 16 4 squads
Company 64 4 platoons
Battalion 256 4 companies

House Liao[edit]

Lacking direct experience with battle armor suits, the Capellan Confederation lagged behind the other Great Houses in developing a native design of their own. It eventually took Word of Blake assistance to produce the first indigenous Capellan Battle Armor in 3062, the Fa Shih. Battle armor squads consisted of four troopers, with battle armor platoons composed of four squads. This allowed for a 1:1 ratio of squads to vehicles when platoons deployed alongside 'Mech or armor lances.[4] In addition many CCAF battle armor units were integrated into a combined arms formation called an Augmented Lance. These Augmented Lances, in turn, could form into Augmented Companies or even Augmented Battalions.[5] Capellan battle armor development continued with Trinity series used by the Trinity Alliance members. By 3145, a large portion of Capellan battle armor suits in used were of Magistracy of Canopus and Free Worlds League design/manufacture. These imported Battle Armor included the Amazon, Longinus and Achileus.

Battle Armor Organization
Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 16 4 squads
Augmented Organization
Unit Troopers Components
Lance ('Mech) 8 4 'Mechs + 2 Squads
Lance (Armor) 16 4 Vehicles + 4 Squads
Company 16 - 32 2 Augmented Lances

House Kurita[edit]

Though the Draconis Combine was among the first of the Inner Sphere militaries to encounter Clan Battle Armor, it was amongst the slowest to develop and field their own versions in significant numbers. Infantry in the DCMS were traditionally poorly-treated unless they were part of DEST, and even after developing their own battle armor designs - the Kage, the Raiden, and the Kanazuchi - several regiments of the Sword of Light simply refused to use them. Others however eagerly adopted the new suits and the use of battle armor quickly spread throughout the DCMS. Because of their initial small size, battle armor units were originally deployed under the authority of conventional infantry commanders, though many in High Command advocated they be placed under the authority of 'Mech commanders.[6]

Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 12 3 squads

House Marik[edit]

As with the other Successor States the Free Worlds League's development of battle armor was spurred on by the Clan Invasion, however House Marik benefited greatly from their partnership with the Word of Blake to produce the Achileus and Longinus suits. Up through 3058, the lighter and more expensive Achileus was reserved for special-forces units; while also largely reserved for special forces, the Longinus did find its way into federal service as part of the general anti-'Mech units assigned to each line regiment. However no more than a platoon of Longinus was assigned to each regiment, with plans to expand to company and battalion-sized deployments within a few years. Battle armor troops were mechanized in either armored personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles.[7]

Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 20 5 squads

House Steiner[edit]

Following their break with the Federated Suns, the Lyran Alliance took a different path with regards to battle armor forces. Directing most of its resources to the construction of 'Mechs and other vehicles meant the LAAF didn't field the same number or variety of battle armor forces as the AFFS. Their development of second-generation designs also diverged: using the large number of the failed Sloth designs left behind by House Davion, the Lyrans developed the quadruped Fenrir.[8] In 3062, the LAAF was the first Inner Sphere power to field a full regiment of battle armored infantry following Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion's decision to concentrate six months' production into a single unit.[9]

Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 16 4 squads
Company 64 4 platoons
Battalion 256 4 companies
Regiment 1,024 4 battalions

Mercenaries (general)[edit]

Following the Truce of Tukayyid in 3052, an increasing number of mercenary groups began fielding small numbers of Battle Armor units to increase the firepower and survivability of their infantry assets. Even by 3067, though, only Wolf's Dragoons possessed the facilities and knowledge to produce and maintain large Battle Armor formations, using Clan Battle Armor designs to their fullest. The only other major users of Battle Armor, the Kell Hounds and Gray Death Legion, possessed slightly smaller numbers of Inner Sphere Battle Armor designs.[10]

Unit Troopers Components
Squad 4 -
Platoon 12 3 squads
Company 36 3 platoons
Battalion 108 3 companies

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Field Manual: ComStar, p. 9: "Infantry Troops"
  2. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 8: "Unit Structure"
  3. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 23: "AFFC Standard Battle Armor Organization"
  4. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, pp. 34–35: "Standard CCAF Infantry Organization"
  5. Field Manual: Capellan Confederation, p. 36: "Mixed-Unit Organization and Command Doctrine"
  6. Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 17: "Standard DCMS Infantry Organization"
  7. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 20: "Standard FWLM Infantry Organization"
  8. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 27: "Standard LAAF Infantry Organization"
  9. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 96: "1st Royal Guards"
  10. Field Manual: Mercenaries (Revised), p. 32: "Standard Mercenary Infantry Organization"

Bibliography[edit]